Field
Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to a control apparatus and a control method of a robot that grips a target object.
Description of the Related Art
In order for a robot apparatus for gripping and arranging a supplied target object in a predetermined place to accommodate varying supply states of the target object, a technique has recently been developed for recognizing and measuring a type, position, and orientation of the target object by using various sensors before gripping the target object. Japanese Patent No. 3314890 discusses a robot apparatus that obtains a video image of a target object conveyed by a belt conveyor and rotates a support member of a robot based on the video image before gripping the target object with a gripping unit. Japanese Patent No. 3805310 discusses an apparatus including a work gripping unit of which orientation can be changed according to the situation in which the target object is placed.
The apparatuses discussed in Japanese Patent No. 3314890 and Japanese Patent No. 3805310 are based on the premise that the position and orientation of the target object can be properly recognized from a captured image of the target object. The target object therefore may be unable to be gripped if the recognition of the target object is incomplete or impossible due to poor conditions such as insufficient or dim illumination, or stains on the target object. If the target object becomes unable to be gripped, i.e., the success rate of gripping drops), the work efficiency of the robot decreases.